Just Another Cinderella Story
by Sunechirei
Summary: I know, I know. You've probably heard the Cinderella Story a hundred times, but just hear me out; my story isn't exactly the same as the others. I kinda wish it was, but hey. We don't always get what we want, do we?
1. Chapter 1

**Yeah, that's right. I'm rewriting this. So? :P**

**For those of you who haven't even started the story yet, this is my version of the Cinderella tale. It's not going to be exactly the same as the original story, or probably any story you've read in this genre before, but don't think it's going to be bad because of that. I actually am starting to like this idea again, despite having taken a 10 month break from it.**

**Yes, I'm pathetic.**

**Anyway, I'm working on adding emotion to this story, as it's one thing I'm having trouble with. I want the reader to FEEL what Mikan is feeling throughout this entire story, so go ahead and tell me if you do or don't feel it. I love feedback, and I'm perfectly okay with anything you have to throw at me. Critiques, flames, criticism, praise, it all makes me think about my writing and make it better. And for those of you who've read the original first chapter and remember it, you'll be surprised at how much my writing has changed.**

**So read, enjoy, and please review! Thanks!**

**~Sunechirei**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I do however own the plot and the writing.**

* * *

"May I have this dance?"

Through the gentle rhythm of the quartet, I heard this voice, and turned to see who it could be, somewhat startled. The deepness of the voice is what startled me, as did the question itself. No one asked me to dance. Especially not men.

He stood behind me proudly, dressed in a tailored black suit, and a dark mask covered his eyes. I couldn't see them, as the slits of the mask were so thin I didn't think _he_ could see through them. But apparently he could.

Extended in front of him was a hand; a perfectly tanned hand that waited patiently for me to take it. Let him know I did in fact, want to dance with him.

The idea of this scared me. Yet, it also pleased me in a way I didn't understand.

"A dance, good sir?" I asked, gently pushing his hand to the side. "I would greatly advise against such a thing. I am not a dancer, after all." As a clumsy, unpretty, nobody, it wouldn't be wise for him to dance with me. Despite having gone to the ball, I never planned on actually dancing with anyone, much less someone of his wealth.

"I do believe the decision to ask is up to me, Miss," the mysterious man said, his voice still low. His hand moved back, brushing against mine, and I felt a jolt in my stomach. He never took it, but he never it leave his touch either. Wherever my hand went, his followed. "I beg of you: do not try and get away. I desperately wish to be the one to steal your first dance of the night."

He'd been watching me. How else would he have known I had yet to dance with anyone that evening?

Before I could respond to him, the hand not chasing after my own moved to my back, pressing against it, and pushing me toward him. When my body made contact with his, I gasped, and tried to pull away. I'd never been this close to a man before.

My attempts to get away were thwarted when he finally grabbed my hand and pulled it up into a position to dance. I stared up at him, the mask on my face blocking my vision slightly. I could barely hear the music now, but the lights coming from the massive, diamond chandelier above us seemed to sparkle brighter than before.

It made everything so disorienting as he pulled me onto the dance floor. The heels I wore caused me to stumble a little bit, but he didn't let me fall. Just being with him made my heart flutter violently. The fact that he kept his arm wrapped around my back made it worse.

Who was he?

"Sir?" I eventually exclaimed, gaining back a little bit of sanity. I noticed the music had stopped. "I never agreed to dance with you."

The man chuckled while the music started again, and he started moving with the beat. It was a simple waltz, _one two three, one two three..._ Before I knew it, I was being pulled along the dance floor, moving in time with the curious man. It made me feel something I had never felt before; absolute exhilaration.

"You're a fabulous dancer," the man said, whispering in my ear. "Why would I _not_ want to dance with you?" I tried to speak, I really did, but the words were caught in my throat. He consumed me. I don't know why, but everything about him made my entire body numb with pleasure.

I didn't realize I could feel this kind of thing, and yet it came. After seventeen years, I finally felt the feeling of lust. Or, I think that's what it was.

He didn't let me go the entire night. I don't know how long we danced for; every second that passed clouded my mind more and more, until finally, I barely knew what was happening. Everything moved so quickly, and I felt euphoric. The life given to me vanished in my mind as nothing more than a dream.

I vaguely remember his voice whispering in my ear through every dance, and I think I responded to what he said. Only, I don't know what was said. Despite what the music was, no matter how the dances changed, he kept pulling me along, making me dance with him.

I didn't realize someone could be this happy.

Eventually, the music slowed, and his arms moved to my back, pulling me closer to him. I closed my eyes in pleasure at the contact, ignoring all the other masses dancing around me. They weren't important to me right then.

All of the other women in the room were thinking the same thing; am I dancing with the prince? Am I the one who's lucky enough to gain his favor and maybe have a chance to marry the richest man in the country?

"What are you thinking about, Miss?" the man suddenly asked. "You have a very blissful look on your face." The words seemed to caress my thoughts, and I flushed red, not sure how I could look blissful. I glanced down at my feet, trying to keep them steady through my embarrassment.

The knee lengths, sapphire blue dress swished around my legs while we dance, and the silver high heeled shoes I wore moved in ways I didn't know they could. Both shimmered in the dimmed lights, reflecting what my heart was doing.

"I'm... I'm just thinking about the purpose of this ball," I muttered as quietly as I could while still being heard. "You know, the reason why it's being held."

The man laughed, then released me for a second. He pushed a lock of raven black hair away from his face, causing me to dearly wish I could see his eyes. I wanted to know what they looked like. He could see my disgusting brown ones. The jeweled blue mask I wore only covered the top half of my face, and my eyes were hardly concealed.

If anyone I knew payed attention, they could easily figure out who I actually was.

Unfortunately, before I could say anything about my desire, the man pressed against my sides, and pulled me off the dance floor, behind a large, marble pillar. I gasped, not expecting it.

"You mean," he whispered in my ear, "for me to find a bride?"

Eyes half closed, I nodded, but then I realized exactly what he said to me.

"You? For you to find a bride?"

"That's right, me. Prince Natsume. The one who wants to find the perfect woman to marry. Someone he will cherish and love forever." Before I knew what he was doing, Prince Natsume pushed me back against the pillar, grabbing my wrists. "I think I found that girl."

I tried to push him away, but he simply lifted my hands above my head, keeping me trapped.

"What are you doing?" I asked, voice unsteady.

"Your hair is beautiful," Prince Natsume said, ignoring my question. He leaned his head in toward my ear. "Why do you keep it up?" The fact that he ignored my question bothered me. It reminded me of someone I knew. Someone I hated. But something about the way he complimented me kept that hatred bottled up.

"My mother's hair piece," I told him. The breath lingering on my neck made me shudder. "She always told me that I could wear it to a ball one day-"

"Well, it does look amazing on you, I hope you know that." His lips touched my bare skin so lightly I barely noticed. But it caused electric shocks to splay across my skin, and I squirmed.

I nodded then, my thoughts scattered, then Prince Natsume moved away from me a little, a smirk on his face. He stared down at me, and slowly, he moved closer. Moved down slowly. Inch by inch. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything.

No thinking.

No breathing.

No speaking.

Nothing.

Then the clock struck the hour.

_We'll be leaving the ball at midnight. _

Twelve times the clock rang.

"No!"

I pulled my wrists out of his grasp and pushed him away with all my strength. He didn't fight me this time, instead baking away so I could breath. I probably scared him.

"N-No! I can't! I can't...

"Miss, are you alright?" The worry in his voice made me feel guilty.

"I have to go!"

Without another word, I ducked away from Prince Natsume and dashed out of the hall, ignoring the footsteps following me. I had to get home before they did. They already did enough to me. They couldn't have another excuse to torture me. And, if they found out I'd danced with the prince...

"Wait, Miss?" the Prince called after me. "Why do you have to go?"

Tears streamed down my face while I ran. If only he knew. If only they all knew who I really was. Why I had to leave. What happened to me all the time.

But what could I say?


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so for those of you who have this story on alert... I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SUCH A LONG TIME!**

**So much has been going on in my life, and I needed to take a break. But guess what? I'm rewriting it, making it better, with better flow, and so on. So go back and read the first chapter because it's changed a little bit ;)**

**I'm going betaless on all my fanfics currently, so if there are mistakes, I'm sorry :( I'm trying to get them all, but it doesn't work too well sometimes.**

**Anyway, read, review, and enjoy :) I hope this chapter doesn't confuse anyone... I tried to make it less confusing than before. Let's hope it worked.**

**~Sunechirei**

* * *

The sun seemed to mock her. It shone brightly that day in a nearly cloudless sky, reaching down and touching all with it's plentiful warmth. But she wanted anything but that. Her black dress absorbed the sunlight warming her when she wanted to be cold.

Even the tears splashing down her face were hot, burning her skin as they trailed down her cheeks. A sob racked her body.

Knees curled up to her chest, she sat on the lush grass and stared longingly at the pitch black tombstone in front of her. Sniffling, she her tears away with the sleeve of her dress, then glanced around.

When she saw no one around her, the tears came harder.

"Mommy," she mumbled through the wetness. "Come home, Mommy. Please come home." She began to sob again. Every breath she took came in painfully, and left harsher. She no longer wanted to breath. "Don't leave me alone with them." Her voice softened to a light whisper.

About then a thick cloud covered the sun, and the girl looked up, not realizing how cloudy the sky had gotten. The darkness calmed her beating heart, making her feel like she could actually be sad without someone mocking her again.

A sudden drip of water startled her though, and she blinked, wiping the cool water off her face. More droplets fell, getting heavier with each minute that passed. She began to cry again.

Her brown pigtails hung damp by her tear stained face, dripping water onto her dress.

Before her, the tombstone turned darker, being stained by the falling rain. Even though she barely knew how to read, she knew the words written on the stone better than any other. Her father had read them to her every time they visited.

_Yuka Yukihara_

_1780-1803_

_23 years old_

_Loving wife of Izumi Yukihara, _

_and mother of Mikan Yukihara_

"Mikan!" The girl jumped at the harsh voice, a shiver going up her spine. The women's voice always scared her, no matter how long she lived with the women. She stood and turned to face the woman, shrinking back when she noticed the vicious glare.

In her hands was a small bouquet of white flowers. The petals drooped pathetically, reflecting the child's feelings.

"What the hell are you doing over there?" she snapped, rushing forward. "Your father was just put into the ground and you go off to see this woman's grave? How insulting." She grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her forward.

"I-I'm sorry," Mikan whimpered, shaking from the cold, and from fear. "I won't do it again!" The vicious pain in her arm brought a sob to her body, which stopped the woman in her tracks.

"Shut up," she spat. "You don't have a right to cry, you ungrateful brat. You don't have a reason to cry."

_Yes I do. Mommy and Dad are gone. I'm stuck with you. You're always so mean to me even though I've never done anything._ Mikan wanted to say this, but she didn't, knowing it would only cause more problems. For a child, she knew much about the world.

"I'm sorry." Her voice came out so insignificantly.

"Yes you are." The woman yanked Mikan forward again, dragging her though the grave yard easily, and without regret. The look of hate and pain in the woman's eyes made it impossible for Mikan to hate her, no matter how much she wanted to.

_Why is she so mean to me, but she loves Dad so much?_

Eventually they came to a stop, and the woman threw Mikan to the ground, not caring that the others were watching. They wouldn't say anything against one of the richest women in the country. Especially not at her second husband's funeral.

Mikan crawled to her hands and knees, blinking water and mud out of her brown eyes. She wanted to reach up and wipe them, but if she did, her step-mother might do something else to her. A bright, high pitched giggle sounded next to Mikan, and she looked up, staring into the harsh eyes of another little girl.

No sadness appeared in the girl's expression. A foolish grin spread across her face, and her pale white hands twirled her umbrella, sending droplets of water everywhere. Even though her perfectly styled hair and fancy dress stayed dry, everyone around her ended up with splatters on their clothing.

Mikan's eyes narrowed. She found she couldn't hate her step-mother, but her step-sister was a different story.

Then her eyes traveled to the boy standing behind the girl. His head was bowed, and he wore all black as well, matching the rest of the people in the area.

"Andou, Luna, don't just stand there. Pay your respects to your father," the woman said suddenly, glaring at Mikan. Both kids nodded, much to Mikan's annoyance, and finally the boy looked up, glancing down at Mikan. She shuddered.

There was a look in his eyes that said, "that man is not my father." When he broke the gaze, Mikan glanced over at the newer headstone, and her eyes widened.

_Izumi Yukihara_

_1766-1806_

_Age 40_

_Husband of Hana Yukihara_

_Father of Andou, and Luna Yukihara_

A tinge of bile rose in her throat at the sight of her rather's tombstone. Her step-mother's obsession with him, and her obsession with getting Mikan and her real mother out of the picture. She went far enough to leave their names off the headstone.

Before Mikan could gain control of her body, she retched, throwing up whatever was left in her stomach from earlier that day.

* * *

"What does this mean?"

"It's exactly as I said, Ma'am. 'If anything were to befall me, I, Izumi Yukihara, leave everything, my entire fortune to my only daughter, Mikan Yukihara.' Those are his exact words."

Leaning against the slightly open door to her father's study, Mikan smiled, wiping her eyes from the earlier tears. Even though her bath from earlier had cleared up most of the red swelling, the eyes still itched from how much she'd cried.

She could tell her step-mother wasn't happy, and that pleased her. Something was wrong with her father's will. It would benefit Mikan, but not Hana.

"This is impossible!" Hana screeched. "I'm his wife. Luna is his daughter. Not that freak of nature! That... that horrible child is the spawn of his first wife, if you can even call that women his wife. Leaving him alone like that... Mikan doesn't deserve any of what he's left behind. I do. Luna and Andou do. Not her!"

Mikan flinched, anger rising, and she became tempted to open the door all the way and tell her step-mother off, but the single cut running down the side of her face stopped her in her tracks. The moment the "family" had made it back to the mansion that evening, Hana had turned on Mikan, screaming at her for throwing up in front of her father's grave, telling her the behavior from earlier had been unacceptable.

Then she slapped her.

Mikan's hand traveled up to her cheek, and she closed her eyes slightly. Her mother had never hit her before. Neither had her father. Hana had though, and that confused the child.

"Wait a moment, Ma'am, there's a note at the bottom here," the lawyer's silky voice called out suddenly. Opening her eyes again, Mikan listened closely to see what the lawyer would say.

"What?" Hana sounded excited, and Mikan felt a tinge of regret for smiling. Karma hated her, after all.

"'If, however, something were to happen to me before Mikan is eighteen, everything I own shall be in the hands of whomever is taking care of my daughter until the day she turns eighteen_._'"

"It says that?"

_Oh no. Why Daddy? Why did you say that?_ Even though she didn't want them to come, fresh tears blurred her vision, and she bowed her head.

"That means I have everything until that brat is eighteen... that's ten years from now!" The excitement in Hana's voice scared Mikan enough that she began to crawl away from the door. If she made any sound, she would get in more trouble, and already she felt like she wanted to die. Anything else might push her over the edge.

"Yes," her lawyer replied as Mikan crawled away, "but you have to keep her with you until then."

Hana's response was so vicious and cruel, that it stopped Mikan in her tracks:

"So? I know exactly what I can do with her."

* * *

"Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three," Mikan chanted, counting the amount of times she was able to jump over the rope. All around her, children chattered, laughed, and ran around, enjoying their small, fifteen minute break from the relentless school work that plagued their day, but none of them seemed to care about Mikan and her jump rope.

Breathless, she paused with her exercise, wiping sweat from her brow, and glanced around. Even though the rest of the children refused to talk to her, she always found a way to entertain herself at school. She wished she could talk to the other kids, but she wouldn't let Luna know how much it hurt her.

After a minute of waiting, Mikan began jumping agin, counting loudly.

"Mikan, give me that rope." Luna's voice came out of nowhere, causing Mikan to stop in her tracks. "I want to play with it. So give it to me."

"No. It's mine. Get your own," Mikan snapped, pulling the rope close to her body. If Luna wanted the rope, she would have to fight Mikan for it, and they both knew which of the two girls was stronger.

"Uh uh," Luna countered with a smirk, grabbing Mikan's slightly bruised wrist. "Everything you have is mine! Mom said so." She reached forward and grabbed at the rope, trying to pull it out of Mikan's grasp. Determined not to let Luna win this time, Mikan kept a firm hold on it, though, and glared.

"I don't care what your mom says. She isn't my mom, so I don't have to listen to her." With a single yank, she pulled the rope out of Luna's hands, but Luna didn't want to give up, and grabbed at it again.

The shouting of the two girls had attracted the attention of many other students in the courtyard, and they all began to gather around, curious by the events that were occurring. They knew the two girls were step-sisters, and they all knew the girls didn't get along, but this was the first time there had ever been an actual fight at school.

Luna glanced around at all the other kids in the courtyard, then grinned. She let go of the rope and shoved Mikan, laughing as the girl fell backward onto her butt. All the kids around them laughed, and Mikan's face turned bright red from embarrassment.

"Guess what?" Luna taunted, reaching down to grab the rope. "My mom is the only adult you have, so you have to listen to her. Your mom and dad are _dead_, after all."

Absolutely furious, Mikan clambered to her feet. "I don't care that they're dead. Your stupid mom won't ever be able to tell me what to do! I won't listen to her, or you, or Andou, and you can't make me."

"Don't call my mom stupid," Luna snapped, shoving Mikan again. This time she held her ground. "My mom isn't stupid, unlike your mom. She's still alive, after all. And you have to do what we say. You're our _slave._"

Angry, Mikan grabbed Luna's hair and pulled down on it. She hated everything about that girl. If there was anyone she could get rid of in her life, it would be Luna. At least Hana left her alone if she didn't do anything to annoy the women. Luna, however, started fights, then ran to her mommy when things got out of hand. This time would be no different.

Mikan didn't care.

"Ow! Let me go!" Luna screamed, struggling against Mikan's hands. The rope lay by her side, forgotten.

All around the two girls, students cheered and whooped, encouraging the fight, even though yells of teachers told them to stop. Mikan didn't care what everyone else was saying. All thoughts were on how she was going to get back at Luna for everything she'd done over the past few years.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, and the entire courtyard went silent. Mikan and Luna froze, staring in the direction of the parting crowd. Wanting to know what just happened, Mikan let go of Luna and stared at the young girl revealed.

Cold purple eyes and short black hair. The only person Mikan knew who looked like that was the new girl, Hotaru Imai.

"Why are you guys fighting? It's annoying," she said, holding a small gun in her hand. Mikan couldn't take her eyes off the weapon, not sure what to think of an elementary school child carrying such a thing around. "What?" Hotaru continued when no one answered. "Nothing to say? Well then scram." Everyone moved to leave, including Mikan, but Hotaru held the gun up in her direction. "Other than you, pigtails. You stay here."

Luna glared at Hotaru, clearly wanting to tell her to leave and never come back, but she didn't speak. The gun probably scared her. Instead, she hissed, "I'm telling Mom about this," at Mikan before storming off after the other kids.

The moment everyone left, Mikan sank to her knees, terrified of Luna's words. She shouldn't have stood up to her. She should have just left things the way they were, given her the rope, and moved on. But now she wouldn't be able to do that.

Tears streamed down her face, and she shuddered.

"You okay?" Hotaru asked, crouching down to Mikan's level. "I saw what that weirdo was doing to you and it pissed me off."

"Thank you for getting rid of her," Mikan muttered. Hotaru let out a laugh and stood up again.

"I like you. It's decided. You're my new pet project."

Mikan blinked and looked up at her. "Huh?"

* * *

The cool, musty night air was refreshing, Mikan decided as she walked through the grounds towards her small house. At the same time, however, it was sad. Chirping crickets played a low, melodramatic tune that contrasted the warm wind blowing, and the trees had begun to turn yellow, showing the unfortunate change of seasons.

Mikan let out a low sigh and began to hum a low tune, matching what the crickets were chirping. Even though winter used to be her favorite season, now that she lived in the uninsulated shack at the edge of the servants housing, she'd started hating it.

The winter months brought ridiculously cold weather, which brought illness, and with the illness came more punishments for having a fever.

A large hand suddenly wrapped around her upper arm and she gasped, instinctively pulling away from the perpetrator. Unfortunately, whoever it was wouldn't let her go, and seemed much taller, and stronger than her.

"You seem abnormally happy for someone who just had to clean my sister's room," the deep voice of Andou muttered. Mikan glanced up at him, all calmness gone. Her heart beat escalated, and her struggles became more insistent.

Andou laughed.

"Stop fighting me, Mikan. You're just a kid. I'm eighteen already, so stop fighting me," he said, twisting Mikan around so she faced him. Her response to this was to turn her head so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes.

"Please, Andou, let me go-"

"I told you to call me Tsubasa!" Andou yelled, squeezing Mikan's arms tighter. She let out a small cry of pain and stopped struggling against her step-brother. "I hate that name, and you know it."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, the pain really getting to her. Finally, he let her go, letting her fall to the ground without even bothering trying to stop her.

"Whatever."

* * *

"He's gone, Hotaru. He's finally gone."

"Who?"

"Andou. He's gone."

"Really? So the guy's finally gotten his ass out of your house, huh?"

"Hotaru! Your language- wait, no never mind. Yeah. He's gone."

"Where did he go."

"I'm not really sure. Hana said something about the palace, so I think he's going to work there."

"I didn't think he was smart enough to do that."

"Don't say that here! Luna could be listening."

"Yeah? What's she gonna do to me?"

"..."

"Exactly. Anyway. I'm happy for you, Mikan. I know you really hated that jerk."

"Mhm."

* * *

"Hotaru! It's the first day of high school!" Mikan cheered, nearly tacking her best friend. Hotaru rolled her eyes and smacked Mikan over the head. The other people in the school grounds gave the two friends strange looks, then continued on with their way.

Mikan smiled at how ridiculous they could be. They clearly didn't get what having a best friend meant.

"Stupid. You shouldn't be excited about that," Hotaru said, pushing Mikan off her.

Mikan giggled, rubbing her head lightly. "I know, I know. But it's a new school, with kids who don't know Luna yet. Maybe people will actually be nicer here. Maybe they won't deal with Luna's nonsense." While she knew it was a long shot to hope things wouldn't go the way they had in elementary and middle school, she still did. The worst that could happen was have her hopes crushed.

Amused by her friends enthusiasm, Hotaru shined a rare smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Or, maybe I'll find someone who... maybe likes me. Maybe I can have a boyfriend, like everyone else our age."

"I think dating is pathetic."

"You're also a weapons designer for the military," Mikan said, laughing. "You don't have to worry about money, or love, or anything. If you want it, you can just have it whenever you want."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Hotaru scanned the courtyard, then grabbed Mikan's arm. "What about him? He seems like he could be your type?"

Eagerly, Mikan looked to see where Hotaru was pointing and spotted a young man with blond hair and blue eyes carrying a small white rabbit. Slowly, her excitement faded, and turned into disbelief.

"Uh... Hotaru?"

"Yes?"

"He's a teacher."

"..." Hotaru was speechless as she examined the guy again. "Oh."

Mikan let out a hearty laugh, but her enthusiasm was quickly falling. "Yeah... I hope he's a nice teacher though. I don't want to be stuck with more horrible ones."

"Agreed."

Even though all the teachers always like Hotaru at first, they eventually came to dislike her abnormal intelligence and the fact that she didn't care about anyone but herself and her best friend. Mikan guessed Hotaru acted like this so the two girls could spend more time together, and that made her extremely happy.

"Well, let's go into our homeroom! I'm so excited to see what life as a high schooler is like!" She linked arms with Hotaru and the two girls headed into the school.

* * *

"Miss Yukihara, your test scores are extremely high, but the fact that you don't do your homework is really affecting your grades."

Mikan's head was bowed, looking at her calloused hands. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nogi," she muttered. Ruka Nogi let out a low sigh, and shook his head. Mikan hated being called in after class. Especially for topics like this.

"It's alright, Miss Yukihara. Please promise me you'll do your homework from now on," Mr. Nogi said, crouching down so he was eye level with the sitting Mikan.

She really wanted to say she would, but she knew deep down that was impossible. Every evening, she did her own homework, then was forced to give it to Luna the next day. For two years of high school this had been occurring, and now, as a sixteen year old, Mikan was already in danger of failing out of high school.

_Mom would be so ashamed of me, _Mikan thought, blinking back tears. _Giving up my own life for that bitch of a girl. I can't believe I haven't told the teachers about this. No. I can. They would talk to Hana, and things would just get worse._

"Miss Yukihara, will you answer me please."

"I'll do what I can," Mikan replied, standing up. "May I go now?"

"I think it would be best if-"

"I have to go now. My mother is waiting for me. Goodbye." Mikan snapped. She grabbed her bag and rushed out of the staff room before her teacher could say anything else.

_Mom. Dad... I'm so sorry._

* * *

_My breathing was heavy as I ran through the forest, my dress tearing in the brambles, my hair trailing down my back. Somewhere along the way I'd lost my mother's precious hair piece. I desperately wanted to go back and search for it, but if Luna and Hana made it home before I did, I would never see the light of day again._

_ If I made it home, at least then I could go searching for the hair piece the next morning._

_ As I neared the house, I thought back to the events of the evening, from when Hotaru showed up at my house with a dress, shoes, which were now in my hand and nearly destroyed, and a make up kit, telling me I was going to the ball, to the moment the clock struck midnight._

_ I could feel my face heat up at the thought of being so close to the prince, to the guy every girl wanted to be with, and even the fact that he'd tried to kiss me sent my heart in a frenzy. Of course, that could be from the running._

_ But why would he talk to me? I was nothing special, only a girl in a dress and a jeweled mask. I honestly could care less about the prince, there was just something about dancing with him that made me feel all weird inside._

_ I shook my head violently, then noticed I was outside the small hut I lived in. As quickly as I could, and without a sound, I wrenched open the door and stumbled in. I threw the shoes under my bed, and stripped myself of my dress, tossing it into the trunk on the other side of the room, then slammed it shut. Just as I did this, I heard the loud voices of my step-sister._

_ She was, of course, complaining. _

_ "That girl was not pretty at all! I'm so much better a dancer than she is. Why would Prince Natsume over look me like that?"_

_ "I don't know," the dangerous voice of Hana said. "But whoever that girl was, she certainly knew how to charm him. We need to watch out for her in the future."_

_ I laughed. If the two of them figured out it was me Prince Natsume had chosen to dance with, I'm sure they would both have a heart attack._

_ But I could never let them know I had been at that dance. _

_ Never again would I be allowed to leave the house, or see Hotaru, or anything if they knew I had disobeyed a direct order._

_ "_Don't leave the house_," Hana had ordered me before she left. At first I was just planning on listening, and not going anywhere, but then Hotaru showed up..._

_ Luna's footsteps made me freeze. She was coming up here!_

_ Not caring that my night gown wasn't on yet, I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over my head, just as the door creaked open. I held my breath, hoping Luna wouldn't notice anything odd._


	3. Chapter 3

**And here's chapter 3. Finally. I added almost five pages to this chapter in the rewrite... be happy O.o**

**Thanks to all the reviewers :D I don't know if I've answered any of you... I've been really busy. If I haven't, I'm sorry. If I have, well I have :D**

**Anyway, starting with this chapter I'm going to be writing one past chapter, and one future chapter, until the past catches up to the beginning of the future. So... yeah.**

**Please enjoy, review, and I'll post a new chapter as soon as I write it. (This is unedited. Sorry about any mistakes).**

**~Sunechirei**

* * *

It had been seventeen years since my life started. Twelve years since I lost my mom to illness, and nine years since my dad left the world because of his depression. To be honest, I'm surprised he lasted that long.

He loved Mom more than anything in the world, and I think he only stayed as long as he did because he didn't want me to be alone.

As I sat alone on the roof of my school, trying to keep the wind from blowing my hair into my face, I thought about this. Thought about everything that's happened to me since those things happened. Meeting Hana, dealing with Luna and Andou, finally making a friend.

The thought of Hotaru made me smile. I loved her so much. She's the only person who actually treated me like a human being all the time. Well, except for Mr. Nogi, but he's a teacher. He doesn't count.

"Mikan Yukihara, why are you on the roof? You can't get in trouble anymore, and you know how much Mr. Jinno likes to find reasons to pick on you." I grinned at the sound of my friends voice, and jumped down from the railing, not caring if my skirt would flip up over my head.

"Hotaru!" I yelled, jumping on her excitedly. She hated it when I did that. I loved to see her annoyed face. No matter how much she got angry with me, she kept coming back, and that always kept me going.

Her reaction to my hug was to shove me off and roll her eyes.

"Really, Mikan? Do you have to do that every time you see me?"

"Yup."

"You're such an idiot," she said, sighing. "You do realize this is one reason all the guys avoid you. They think you're in love with me."

Really, I didn't care anymore. There was only one guy I was interested in, and he knew better about me being a lesbian, as Hotaru was implying. Besides, I didn't find anything wrong with hugging your best friend.

"I'm not an idiot," I told her. "And the guys avoid me because Luna pays them to. You know that as well as I do." Of course, another reason happened to be because I'm average looking, don't have much of a personality, and I'm as clumsy as they get. Dance class is horrible for me. I can't even do a waltz correctly. How can they expect me to do anything else?

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Look, Mikan, if you want things to change, you're going to have to start standing up for yourself. Tell Luna off or something." If only I could.

"I'd love to, but I also like the peace that's appeared in my house lately. I don't need to give Luna any more reasons to harass me, and I don't need Hana getting angry at me. Again, you know that's what's going to happen if I stand up to her."

"Well, at least tell the teachers what Luna's doing with your homework," Hotaru grumbled, her voice raising in volume a little. "It's getting ridiculous. She's not letting you do any of your own homework anymore."

Let me say something about Hotaru really fast: she rarely raises her voice. I mean, very rarely. I've only seen it one or two times, and those times ended in chaos. Literally. She created this device that the King wanted, and it creates this little field of chaos where you go insane and end up curled in a little ball on the ground, crying for you mother.

I love Hotaru, but she scares me sometimes.

"She never let me do any of my homework before, remember?"

"She let you do some of it."

"Only because I didn't tell her I'd done those assignments. If I had, she would have taken them too."

What can I say about Luna... she's a bratty, no good, annoying step-sister who thinks she rules the world. While most people like that have had a great life, I have to admit I know Luna hasn't. Mainly she acts this way because she misses her own dad, and because her mom is so vain.

Yes, I don't want anything to do with her, especially since she takes my homework every morning. Still. But I can't hate her.

Hotaru never understood that about me.

"Well, I think it's time to make this stop," Hotaru muttered. "I refuse to let this continue on, Mikan. Your life is being ruined by those people just because Hana hated your mother. It's time for Luna to grow up a bit. Let's go to the teacher."

"No!" I grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. "If I tell the teachers, they'll talk to Hana. She would tell them I'm lying for attention and I'd just get in trouble with her. You know how it works with her."

"You're seventeen, Mikan," Hotaru grumbled. Her amethyst eyes were cold, though still full of concern for me. "Andou's gone from the house, and he's the only one who would physically hurt you. Luna's not that scary and your bitch of a step-mother can't do anything too bad to you or she'll lose custody. Then she'll lose all of your dad's money."

I flinched. Andou did hurt me when he lived with us. But he wasn't the only one. I just never told Hotaru. If I had told her what Hana would do to me when she was pissed enough, I'm pretty sure my best friend would get King Persona give the order to have her killed.

Yes, Hotaru has that amount of power over the king. She gives him all his weapons for the military. She can ask whatever she wants of him.

Sure, she knew about the living in a storage shed, the cleaning, and the having to obey everything Luna said to me. Plus, what Andou would do to me as a kid. But that's it. I never told her the other things.

But, I'm sure she'll find out soon. It's gotten harder and harder to hide the bruises and cuts. Before I could blame them all on my step-brother. Now I have to hide them, or find other reasons for them.

"Mikan, please just go tell Nogi. He'll do something about it and get you out of that place. You can come live with me. My parents love you, and I'm sure Brother wouldn't mind having you there." Hotaru sounded so desperate that I almost considered telling her I could. But I couldn't.

"Come on, lunch is almost over," I said, walking toward the stairs. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late to class, then we'll both get in trouble." She clearly wasn't happy with my change of subject, but she grumbled about how insane I was and followed me, rather than arguing still.

I smiled and opened the door, then watched Hotaru walk through it. I didn't follow her immediately though. Something about going down to class disturbed me. No matter what, I was going to get in trouble. I figured I could just stay there and at least have a few more hours of peace before having to deal with Hana.

"Are you coming?"

Hotaru called this up to me after I didn't follow her. I just grinned and nodded, not wanting her to know how much my body didn't want me to go.

"Yeah, just give me a minute, I think I left something up here. I'll be down in a second."

With this excuse, I scrambled back to the cage blocking people from falling off the roof and grabbed onto the metal mesh. I stared down at the town below me, like I always did when I needed a pick-me-up.

Well, "town." More of a city. A capitol city with the palace in the background. I could see it in the distance so easily; it stood out so easily, even though there were mansions surrounding it, one being my father's. The palace caught the eye of all who passed by. Even in the town you can see that stupid building looming above you; mocking you.

But at a time like this, I didn't pay attention to the ridiculous, lavish building. Instead I looked down at all the people running around the market, talking to each other; dogs barking, children screaming as they played through the streets, and just overall a humorous atmosphere kept the town alive.

I smiled, feeling slightly energized again, and hopped down, mentally preparing myself for the last few classes of the day.

Sure, I'd have to deal with Jinno.

Yeah, I'd probably do something stupid and get in trouble.

I could deal with it.

* * *

To say I hated my class would be like saying I hated my home. An understatement beyond belief. I didn't just hate my class; I loathed it with a burning passion that could probably set the school on fire if people could have such powers.

One of the main reasons for this is the school decided to separate me and Hotaru into different classrooms after our first year of high school, so I had no friends in my class. I would have loved to make friends, but that kind of thing doesn't happen to someone like me. Not with Luna in my class.

Everyone knew from the first day that I was her slave. She could tell me to do whatever she wanted and I had to listen to her. Of course, even if Luna hadn't paid them to be mean to me and ignore me, I would be ignored anyway. I was the poor orphan girl, after all.

Granted, sitting in the back of the room really didn't help me at all. I'm pretty sure Mr. Nogi, my homeroom teacher for the third year in a row, didn't hate me, but he still put me back there.

Maybe it was chance. Maybe he did it because he knew something was off about my life and he didn't want to have to deal with it.

That honestly hurt more than what Luna did to me day after day.

"Miss Yukihara, are you paying attention?" Jinno's disgustingly cold voice brought me back to the actual class I was in. Math. Always been horrible at the subject, and Jinno treated me like I was.

I hoped, when I glanced up, that no one could see the light blush that'd formed on my cheeks. Of course, they wouldn't know I'd been thinking about Mr. Nogi, or that I had a horrible crush on him, despite him being older than me by a good ten years at least, but I still didn't want them seeing it. I mean, if anyone other than Hotaru found out, it would mean mass humiliation, and I just didn't want to deal with that.

Hotaru made fun of me for it enough.

"Yes sir," I replied, standing. "I am paying attention." I bowed quickly before sitting back down again.

Jinno snorted. "I couldn't tell based on your actions."

"I'm sorry, sir," I muttered, trying to ignore the snickers coming from my classmates. I made eye contact with Luna for a second; long enough to see her gleeful expression, before I turned away.

"I want to see you in my office after school today, Miss Yukihara. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"And I'm going to call your mother."

_Step-mother_, I wanted to say aloud. But instead I just said, "Yes sir."

Apparently my tone didn't sit well with my teacher. He stomped to the back of the room, meter stick in hand, and slapped it on my desk. I barely moved my hands away in time. I could hear more laughter coming from the other students, despite their best efforts to keep silent, and I glared up at Jinno, annoyed he'd done that.

I'd done nothing to deserve it.

"You wish to sass me," he growled.

"I didn't sass you, sir."

"Sounds like you did to me, and I think that's all that matters."

I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. This man did nothing but pick on me day after day. Just like Luna. I needed it to stop, or I was going to go insane from annoyance.

"Do you understand me, Miss Yukihara?"

I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have said it. I should have just let the punishment happen and stop him from being such a horrible person to me. When I think back to it, what I did wasn't worth it at all. I should have just let bygones be bygones.

But I didn't.

"No, _sir_," I responded quietly. "I don't understand."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't understand why you think it's fun to constantly pick on me, despite the fact I've never done anything wrong in this class. I've never acted out, I've never _sassed _until this very moment because I'm not that kind of person. But you know what?" I stood up and grabbed his ruler, shoving it back at him. "I'm sick of you, and everyone else in this school treating me like some kind of disgusting human being who has no feelings and no ability to stand up for myself."

I clenched my teeth, watching Jinno's eyes widen when I finished my rant. I don't think he's ever had a student yell at him like this. Most of them just did what he wanted.

But not me.

"Miss Yukihara," Jinno said, voice so dangerous I felt the anger bleeding from the voice, "this is going to-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Jinno?" I heard Hotaru's voice, and I felt myself relax a little bit. She always had impeccable timing.

"What do you want?" He turned around angrily, glaring at the girl in the doorway. Her calmness was eerie, radiating a hint of disgust at the teacher for snapping at her.

"I need Mikan Sakura to come with me."

"Why?"

That's what I wanted to know. What could Hotaru want from me?

"You see, unbeknownst to her, I've been performing experiments by adding certain mood changing supplements to her food so I could see what happens for a new weapon I'm developing at the current moment." I couldn't tell if she was lying or telling the truth. Either way I was going to have to get mad at her for being stupid and interrupting class like this. And for messing with me.

"Why do you need her now? I'm lecturing her." He was beginning to calm down a little, realizing who he was talking to. Even the teachers gave Hotaru a sense of respect no one else gained.

"Because she's having an emotional, irrational break," Hotaru explained. "I need to take blood and see what her reactions to certain things are."

"We're in the middle of class."

"I don't think King Persona cares what time it is. He wants the results, and he wants them as soon as I get them. Now is the time to get them." She pranced into the room proudly, and grabbed my arm the moment she was close enough to. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I have some experiments to do." She grinned viciously. "So, by the way, this snapping she's just gotten done doing isn't her fault."

Then I was dragged out of the room, everyone staring at me like I'm some kind of strange being who's going to be dissected.

Which I wouldn't put past Hotaru.

The moment we were outside the room and the door was closed, Hotaru turned on me, eyes narrowed and hissed, "What are you thinking? Didn't you just lecture me about how you can't tell anyone about the homework thing because you'll get in trouble? Why did you just blow up on Jinno?"

"So, you haven't been putting mood supplements into my food for a strange weapon you've been developing for the king?"

"No. Now answer my question?"

I sighed. "I honestly don't know. It just kinda happened. I didn't mean to do it." I trailed off, thinking about where that rage came from. If I didn't control myself, I could do it again. This time to Hana or Luna, and worst things would happen, especially since Hotaru couldn't rescue me as she just did.

"Well you need to control yourself. I know Hana isn't that bad to you at home, but she can still make your life hell if you do anything that makes her seem bad. You're lucky I've bugged your room and I spy on you during the day to see what horrible things you have to go through."

"Wait, you do?"

"Doesn't matter."

It mattered to me. This girl didn't understand the idea of privacy.

"Now come on." She grabbed my hand. "I've gotten the two of us out of school for the rest of the day. Let's go experiment on random things to annoy people."

Just like her to do this. I smiled, and gripped her hand tighter, barely able to contain my happiness.

* * *

"You were acting out in class today?" Hana asked the moment I walked in the door. Hotaru had left only moments before, telling me if anything bad happened to call her. Looked to me like something bad was about to happen.

"I'm sorry Ma'am," I muttered, bowing. "It wasn't my fault. Hotaru decided to do something to me and I lost control of myself. The effects should have worn off by now though."

"Don't lie to me!" She didn't hit me, but I flinched, expecting it. She'd done it before, after all. What was keeping her from doing it again. "Luna told me that you and Hotaru made a plan to get you out of class that day. Don't tell me your precious little friend experimented on you because I know it's not true.

_You can't know that._

My demeanor changed drastically when I got home. At school I could relax more, but the moment I stepped in my house, I had to be a perfect servant. That's all she saw me as, after all.

I stood with my hands folded in front of me, eyes turned away so I wouldn't make eye contact, and my back stayed perfectly straight. Everyone who worked there had to stand like this day, after day, after day. I was no different.

"I apologize, Ma'am. I won't let it happen again."

I wouldn't be. Hotaru lectured me the entire way to the town about how I must lie and keep myself

Better to lie and get it over with, then tell the truth and get punished worse. Hana scoffed, shaking her head, just as Luna walked into the house.

"About time you said that," she muttered. "Next time you won't be getting off so easily. For tonight, clean the front hall by yourself. You can have food when you're done." At least she was going to feed me tonight. Sometimes she didn't even do that.

As she stalked off into the house, I heard Luna giggle, and she skipped over to me, a malicious grin on her face.

"See? This is what happens when you try and act normal." She was reminding me of a conversation we had before school. Where I told her to just let me have a normal life. "I can't let you be normal, because you're not, Mikan. You're not, and you'll never be. So have fun tonight, Miss Slave. Have fun cleaning this hall by yourself. It's going to take you a long time. I just know it." She snickered, then patted me on the head like some kind of child. I wanted to bit her. "Good luck!"

I clenched my fist, and turned away, heading to the locker where they kept the cleaning supplies. No need to talk to Luna. If I did, I might explode again, and I couldn't have that. Who knows what she would do to me if I yelled at her directly. I'd probably be killed. Or maimed. Or seriously injured. One of those.

She'd already gotten me in trouble once tonight. I didn't need to give her another excuse to.

* * *

It was about midnight when I finally finished cleaning the hall. I stumbled down to the kitchen, hoping I could maybe find some food to fill my stomach before I collapsed into a exhausted heap and withered away into nothingness.

Well, that wouldn't happen. But I might sleep for most of the time.

"Oh, Mikan sweetie, there you are!" The cook, Anna, rushed over to me and threw her arms around my neck. "Nonoko told me what the Mistress made you do. I felt so bad I had to stay up until you came down to scrounge." I hugged Anna back, trying not to let the tears fall.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"Oh, don't thank me. It's the least I can do for you. I'm sure your father would have wanted me to do this for you, seeing as no one else can." She pulled me to the other side of the kitchen where a warm fire had been lit, and a steaming bowl of soup waited for me.

"I still want to say thanks to you."

"Don't speak. Just eat." She almost literally shoved the spoon in my hand and continued to glare at the table where the soup was, waiting for me to take a bite and fill my growling stomach.

Luna and Hana may be disgusting, but everyone else was amazing. They treated me with respect, and love, and I loved them all back. A lot of them were here when my mother was alive; they all loved her, and I guess since I look like her, they treat me with the same respect they treated Mom with.

I smiled as I tasted the soup. It tasted like home. Family. Acceptance.

Eventually, my hand started to shake, and the spoon fell from my it, clattering against the table loudly. I pushed the bowl away and put my head in my arms, sobbing into them without control. Anna came over and began rubbing my back gently, trying to calm me down, but it wouldn't work. Nothing would work.

This life... I couldn't take it much longer. The suffering, the loss, the pain... everything. It was just too much for me. All I wanted was to go on with my life. Make it so I didn't have to go through this anymore.

_One more year. You'll be eighteen soon._

That thought kept me going though. Soon, everything would be mine. I could get Luna and Hana out of the house. Things would be fine again.

Or, I hoped it would be fine.


End file.
